Special food package

ABSTRACT

A READILY CLOSABLE AND RE-OPENABLE PACKAGE OF FOOD, WHICH MAY BE CANNED FOOD, REFRIGERATED FOOD OR DEHYDRATED FOOD, IN WHICH THE FOOD IS PLACED WITHIN A CONTAINER WHICH MAY BE A DISH, CAN, CUP, ETC. AND THE CONTAINER IS AFFIXED AT ITS BOTTOM SURFACE TO A FLEXIBLE PLASTIC SHEET SO THAT THE PLASTIC SHEET MAY BE GATHERED ABOUT THE CONTAINER AND SECURED WITH A TWISTED WIRE RETAINER FOR SHIPMENT AND HANDLING BUT WHEN THE WIRE RETAINER IS UNTWISTED, THE FLEXIBLE PLASTIC SHEET WILL FALL UPON A SUPPORTING SURFACE TO FORM A MAT THAT IS MUCH LARGER THAN THE CONTAINER. THIS PROTECTING MAT MAKES THE FEEDING CONTAINER APPROPRIATE FOR FEEDING DOGS OR CATS AS THEY STAND UPON THE MAT THUS HOLDING THE CONTAINER FROM SHIFTING WHILE THEY FEED. IT IS ALSO HELPFUL FOR FEEDING CHILDREN BY PROVIDING A PAD OR COVER SURROUNDING THE FOOD CONTAINER TO CATCH THE NORMAL SPILLAGE IN FEEDING A CHILD. THIS PROTECTING MAT MAKES THE FOOD CONTAINER IDEAL FOR TRAVEL AND IN SOME INSTANCES THE MAT MAY HAVE TIES FOR TYPING IT UPON THE PERSON.

July 20, 1971 L. E. M GOWAN SPECIAL FOOD PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1969 MM w m0 E E U BY/M (7 AGE/VT L. E M GOWAN SPECIAL FOOD PACKAGE July 20, 1971 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1969 3,594,177 SPECIAL FOOD PACKAGE Linda E. McGowan, 14 Avenue 1), West Keanburg, NJ. 07734 Filed Aug. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 856,875 Int. Cl. B6511 11/00 US. Cl. 99171R 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A readily closable and re-openable package of food, which may be canned food, refrigerated food or dehydrated food, in which the food is placed within a container which may be a dish, can, cup, etc. and the container is affixed at its bottom surface to a flexible plastic sheet so that the plastic sheet may be gathered about the container and secured with a twisted wire retainer for shipment and handling but when the Wire retainer is untwisted, the flexible plastic sheet will fall upon a supporting surface to form a mat that is much larger than the container. This protecting mat makes the feeding container appropriate for feeding dogs or cats as they stand upon the mat thus holding the container from shifting while they feed. It is also helpful for feeding children by providing a pad or cover surrounding the food container to catch the normal spillage in feeding a child. This protecting mat makes the food container ideal for travel and in some instances the mat may have ties for tying it upon the person.

This invention relates to novel packages for food and more particularly the combination of a large flexible plastic sheet with a dish afiixed at its center and a food inserted in said dish so that the package may be closed by gathering the plastic sheet about the dish and tying it or the package may be opened allowing the plastic sheet to spread and fall upon a supporting surface to act as a protective pad or napkin.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel package for food, that is attractive and displays to good advantage the food enclosed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel combination package of food, dish and protective pad or napkin.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel feeding package for animals.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel means of carrying individual rations of food that may be opened and fed to a child and proteced from splllage around the feeding dish.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novel picnic food package that when opened provides a coverall napkin for the lap and retains the food and dish centered upon the napkin.

Other objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the food package,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the food package,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a further embodiment in an open position,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3 in a closed or folded package form,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment in an open position,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 as a closed package,

FIG. 7 is a still further embodiment of a closed food package shown in a side elevational view,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 7 shown in an open relation,

' United States Patent 0 3,594,177 Patented July 20, 1971 FIG. 9 is a still further embodiment of a food package in an open position on the lap of a person.

The drawings illustrate a new combination food package in which canned foods, refrigerated foods or dehydrated foods are inserted within a dish and the dish and food are placed within a sheet if thermo-plastic film and the dish bottom is sealed or affixed to the ther-mo-plastic film. The film is then gathered around the dish and food and by using a wire twisted retainer, the gathered film may be tied completing the package for shipment. The sealing or afiixing of the dish to the plastic film is primarily for its further use when the package is opened, that is, if the food contained is a can of cat food such as fish, the package is opened, the can is opened and the food dumped in the dish and the dish and plastic mat or film is placed upon the floor for the cat to feed. Thus the cat cannot push the dish off the fil-m and any spillage from the dish will be on the mat or film and therefore the floor is protected from spillage. The remainder after feeding is easily gathered without any spillage upon the floor and the package is tossed as it is all disposable.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated the thermo-plastic film 10 which may be circular in form and a dish 11 which is heat sealed or afiixed to the film 10 along the bottom of the dish and food 12 in a container which may be a can of food or a plastic or cardboard container of refrigerated food or simply a package of dehydrated food. In FIG. 1 the film or mat 10 is gathered about the dish 11 and a twisted wire retainer 14 is wrapped around the gathered plastic film and twisted to retain the film as illustrated. When the food package is to be utilized, the wire retainer is unt wisted and the plastic film, being of a flexible and light form, Will spread outwardly and lie in a flat mat form upon the floor. The food in the dish in this embodiment is emptied from the container 12 into the dish and the feeding tray or dish is ready for the animal ice ' to be fed. If the feeding is for a dog or cat, the animal will stand upon the film or mat 10 while eating out of the dish 11. Thus the dish will not move away from the animal and any spillage from the dish will fall upon the film 10.

A further embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 in which a different type food package is utilized. In this embodiment the food package 16 is primarily for dogs. It is a simulated hamburger wrapped in a thermo-plastic sheet such as Saran Wrap. The package 16 is further wrapped by setting the package 16 in the center of a sheet 17 of thermo-plastic material which may be a similar material such as Saran Wrap. The package 16 is afiixed in this position either by a heat seal or by an adhesive or any of the known glues or cements used for plastic materials. Thus sheet 17 as shown in FIG. 3 is then folded to completely encompass the package 16 and when completely folded (as shown in FIG. 4), it is sealed or clipped in this position. Thus when the dog owner receives this package by releasing the sheet 17 from its folded relationship and opening it and puncturing the simulated hamburger package, the individual feeding is ready for the dog and as in the prior embodiment, when the dog stands upon sheet 17, the package 16 cannot be pushed away but remains centered on sheet 17 and thus any spillage remains on sheet 17 for a sanitary clean feeding.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a further embodiment of this invention in which the food package mounted within the dish 11 is a can of food 12A, the can of food is the usual key opening variety in which a key 20 is attached to the can and the can is provided with an opening strip 21 so that when the package is received, it is easy for the party receiving same to remove the key and open the can 12A and empty the food into the dish 11. Thus the feeding is complete and ready for the animal to be fed.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 there is illustrated a similar package utilizing the thermo-plastic film 10 but providing a slightly large plastic dish 18 with a snap-on cover 18A as in this embodiment which is primarily for the larger dogs, the food will be packaged within dish 18 and the food is a dehydrated food such as simulated meat chunks. This package may also be used for feeding children and in that instance the dish is filled with a dehydrated food such as instant cereal. Thus when the film 10 is released so that the pad falls upon the table or surface supporting the dish, hot water or hot milk as the case may be, may be poured upon the dehydrated food and the food is ready for feeding. In this instance with a thermo-plastic film and a plastic dish, the dish may be heat sealed to the film to retain the dish centered upon the film.

Referring to FIG. 9 there is illustrated a further embodiment of this invention in which the dish 11 is, as in the previous embodiments, atfixed or heat sealed to the center of a thermo-pjlastic film 10. However the thermo-plastic film 10 in this embodiment is shaped to be utilized as a large napkin or apron to be draped over the lap of a person for picnic use or other occasions. In this instance the film 10 may also have an elongated strip of film 10A that is either formed with strip 10 or heat sealed to strip 10 so that the two projecting portions may be wrapped around the user and tied to prevent the film 10 from shifting while in use. The ties 10A in a still further embodiment may be attached to one end of strip 10 to be tied around the waist of the individual thus preventing the film from slipping off the lap of the user. Thus in an inexpense film of thermo-plastic material such as Saran Wrap, provides a complete protection for the lap of an individual and retains the dish holding food in a position where it cannot shift and cannot spill and if there is spillage of food, it is upon the film and the user is thoroughly protected and after use, the complete assembled unit is disposable.

The preferred polyethelyne film referred to in this application may have an average molecular weight of 20,000, density of 0.194 and the flexible plastic film may be a sheet of polyethylene or various similar materials such as copolymers of vinylidene chloride (Sara film). Although the plastic polyethylene film is the preferred form, a further embodiment of this invention would include the use of a foil wrap material such as Reynolds Wrap and in this instance a metal dish may also be utilized to combine the metal dish and foil wrap. However in this instance, the foil wrap should be provided with an adhering gum at its center so that the metal dish may be heated if necessary and when placed upon the gum it will, by its own heat, form a fixation to the foil sheet. This particular use could not be utilized with a thermo-plastic sheet but will readily adapt itself to the metal foil sheet. A wide variety of products may be effectively packaged as illustrated in this invention. The products include but are not limited to such items as (1) fortified mixed ingredient simulated burger for feeding dogs or meat chunks for feeding dogs; (2) dehydrated foods for feeding babies and children such as instant cereal; (3) canned fish for feeding cats; and (4) desserts, appetizers, etc. for feeding adults.

Although we have described the manner of gathering the plastic sheet and tying the plastic sheet in this gathered relationship with a wire retainer, it is also apparent that the plastic sheet may be heat healed in this gathered relationship to provide an air tight package. When opening the package it is a simple matter to break the heat seal and utilize the flexible sheet as in all embodiments. The packages of this invention provide a simple inexpensive disposable package suitable for a wide variety of food products, and a wide variety of uses. The packages of this invention are convenient for travel, being compactly 4 packaged for carrying, being easily opened for consumption, being sanitary in feeding and being disposable when the food is consumed. These packages also have tremendous eye appeal since the food is clearly visible.

The invention described in detail in the foregoing specification is subject to changes and modifications without departing from the principle and spirit therof. The terminology used is for purposes of description and not of limitation; the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A readily closable and re-openable package comprised of a sheet of thermo-plastic film and a dish, a food in said dish, the base of said dish heat sealed to the center of said plastic film, said thermo-plastic film normally lying fiat to form a mat larger than said dish, said film gathered about said dish and food and said gathered film retained in a closed relationship with a twisted wire retainer.

2. In a device according to claim 1 in which the plastic film is polyethylene.

3. In a device according to claim 1 in which the dish is formed from a sheet of polyethylene film and the thermoplastic sheet is heat sealed at its center to the bottom of said dish.

4. In a device according to claim 1 in which the food is contained in a can and said can has a key for opening.

5. In a device according to claim 1 in which the food is deposited in a waxed paper cup with a snap-on cover.

6. In a device according to claim 1 in which the mat formed of thermo-plastic film is round.

7. In a device according to claim 1 in which the mat formed of thermo-plastic film is many sided.

8. In a device according to claim 1 in which the gathered thermo-plastic film is heat sealed to provide an air tight food package.

9. In a device according to claim 1 in which the thermoplastic film is formed rectangular in shape large enough to cover the average adult lap and a pair of extended ties extend from either side to permit tying the film in a centered position on the lap.

10. A readily closable package composed of a sheet of aluminum foil film and a dish, a food package in said dish, the base of said dish provided with an adhering gum at the center of said foil film, said foil film normally laying fiat to form a mat larger than said dish, said film gathered about said dish and food package and said gathered film retained in a closed relationship with a twisted wire retainer.

11. In a device according to claim 10 in which the dish is a rigid metal dish.

12. In a device according to claim 10 in which the foil film is provided at its center with an adhesive that is soluble with heat so that when a metal dish is heated and positioned upon the adhesive, it will be afiixed to the foil sheet in this position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,134 3/1908 Woodard 99-171(R)X 2,034,067 3/1936 Stone. 2,406,661 8/1946 Brady. 2,965,501 12/1960 Harris 206-46(F)X 3,099,568 7/1963 Brody et a]. 20645.33X

FRANK W. LUTTER, Primary Examiner S. L. WEINSTEIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

99-171PP; 206-46F; 22987F 

